I absolutely love going on picnics in the summer. Making all this yummy finger food. Lots of fruit. And settling down on a comfy blanket near the shade but not far from the warm sunshine. I just love being outside! After going on a few picnics, I’ve come up with some super useful picnic hacks. Your packing will be light, food will be great, and the bugs won’t be invited!
An Easy Fix to Prevent Forgetting any of the Basics
Basically like a ‘to go’ bag – it’s prepped and ready whenever a picnic strikes! Inside a picnic basket, put in a box of mixed plastic cutlery, a pack of napkins, a pack of paper plates, paper bowls, a sleeve of cups, and a few empty plastic bags for garbage. Anytime you want to head out for a spur of the moment picnic, all you’ll need to worry about is the food!
Don’t Forget Your Shower Curtain
Buy a cheap plastic shower curtain – this is about to be your favorite picnic hack. There’s nothing worse than picking a spot, laying your blanket down, and once you sit down…you realize it’s actually wet. You can skip experiencing ruined pants by putting the plastic shower curtain under the blanket.
Mini Sandwiches are a Picnic-Perfect Food
If you don’t already know the delicious glory of Hawaiian rolls, I urge you to try some. They are perfect for any kind of slider or mini sandwich you can think of. They’re absolutely perfect to take camping with you. Take your entire flat of Hawaiian rolls out of the package – try to take it out in one solid piece. Using a bread knife, cut your sheet of rolls into 2 pieces – the tops and the bottoms. Just like you’d cut a cake into two layers. Set your tops aside. Add condiments to the rolls if you want any. Put on the fillings of your choosing. Put the top layer onto the bottom half and cut the sandwiches apart on their natural edges. Then slide the sheet of sandwiches back into the package the rolls came in. Once you get to your picnic, just pull out what you need.
Plastic Cups Do Double Duty
Don’t fuss with a whole bowl of salad and dressing on the side. That can take up so much room. Cut down on space by making individual salads in plastic cups with lids. If you want to add dressing before the picnic (rather than at the picnic), put the salad dressing in the bottom of each cup. Add all of your veggies next, and finally any toppings such as seeds or croutons. Cut the cover on, and it’s ready to go!
Use an Egg Carton for Upright Treats
A real tasty treat to bring on your picnic, are chocolate filled strawberries. Cut the top off the berry, cut out some of the middle, and fill with melted chocolate. The perfect place to set them while they’re setting up is in an egg carton. That egg carton will be perfect inside the cooler and will ensure your sweet berries stand up straight and nothing squishes them.
Bring Along a Muffin Tin
This is so useful if you’re sitting on the ground. Finding a level place to set down cups can be a real challenge. Thankfully, you won’t have to worry about that with this picnic hack! Use the muffin tin for a cup holder in the middle of the blanket, so everyone can use it.
Craft Organizers are Perfect for Snacks
Find a craft organizer that has various size sections inside. You can pack each section with foods – berries, baby carrots, nuts, pretzels, raisins, M&Ms, etc. You’ll save a load of space in your cooler or picnic basket by using this helpful container to pack all your little snack foods.
Head for the Medicine Cabinet
Got any Listerine in the bathroom? Perfect! If you don’t have any mosquito repellant, this mouthwash will do the trick in a pinch. It does work, but it will need reapplying more frequently than normal bug repellant. But if it’s all you’ve got on hand, use it!
Keep Ants and Bees Away
Homemade ant spray is so easy to make! It’s only two ingredients – water and peppermint essential oil. In a spray bottle, fill it 2/3 of the way full of water. Add 12 – 15 drops of the peppermint. Shake and viola! Once you’ve laid down your blanket, mist around the edges.
Also – back along some fabric softener sheets to keep the bees away. Stick one under each edge of your picnic blanket. You’ll be able to eat in peace without the fear of anyone getting stung.
The Freezer is Your Best Picnic Friend
Instead of loading up on bags of ice to keep your food cold, try freezing some of the food. This is perfect if you have a ways to drive or if you plan on playing with the kids before sitting down to eat. The night before your picnic, freeze the bottles of water or juice you plan on taking with you. You can also make ahead PB&J sandwiches and freeze them. Once you go to pack up, the frozen food will keep the rest of the food cold. While you and the family are having fun, the food thaws out and is ready for lunch!
As always here at The Cottage Market we would like to send out tons of APPAWS and APPLAUSE to all of our blogger friends for sharing their talents and creativity with us! We want them to know that they are appreciated and loved. You are going to adore exploring their blogs for more outstanding DIY’s and inspiration. As always…ENJOY & CREATE!
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